November 2009 Events: Update #1 [Kinda...]

Interesting bit of news, concerning the 31st of October (which is um… today in fact) and the 1st of November: Salonika’s PHILOXENIA Expo, in which the Japanese Embassy of Greece participates, will feature a presentation on manga, anime and cosplay culture, both on Saturday and Sunday, for 1 hour each. Episodes of well-known anime will be on display, while people will be informed both on the spot and via a brochure provided at the stand (Kiosque 15 – Stand 17).

The official program is as follows:

Saturday, October 31st

13:00-13:30 IAIDO
15:00-16:00 ANIME & COSPLAY
17:00-18:00 ORIGAMI
19:00-19:30 AIKIDO

Sunday, November 1st

13:00-13:30 KENDO
15:00-16:00 ANIME & COSPLAY
19:00-19:30 JODO

Perhaps most important of all, members of the Salonika J-community will be there in costume, in order to provide both accurate and visual information to the visitors. The list of those participating is as follows:

Anny_yachiru_chan
Cassiel
DarcRose22
Ginius
Laiste
Lily
MitHuNa
MyDeadBrother
X-LpBleach

Ginius and Sakura Syndrome are the ones who took the initiative to contact the Embassy and propose the whole idea, so kudos to you people! PHILOXENIA Expo takes place at HELLEXPO (154 Egnatias St., Salonika). Last but not least, many thanks to Cassiel for providing this information originally in Anime.gr.

Keep expanding,

Speedgrapher

November 2009 Events

I know you have seen it elsewhere, I know you are already anticipating it and are in the process of sewing / clay-modelling / carpenting / etc. but I simply MUST announce it here as well: Friday the 13th, November 2009, after The Mall, we take Gazi!

This is Halloween! BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Akai Panda and Nozomi Ongaku co-organize and Umi & Sora lend their support to the first ever Halloween J-Music Party, at MAD Club (53, Persefonis St., Athens – access from Kerameikos Metro Station). Although not a cosplay party per se, it has become evident through forums and social networking that people will be dressing up for the occasion anyway. For their part, the teams (especially Akai Panda) will see to it that the inside of the venue is appropriately decorated. The decks will feature KrizD, Namida, myself and a friend as a special guest DJ, who will remain secret for now.

The party starts at 21:00 and entrance is free.

Stay Undead,

Speedgrapher

October 2009 Events: Update #2 – The BIG One!

Cosplay & Maid Café @ fnac – The Mall Athens

Umi & Sora and Akai Panda: Taking it to the next level!

After months of discussion, organizing and hard work, we are pleased to present possibly the biggest event of our community to date, being also our first big venture to the wider public: a 3-day Cosplay Café at the fnac’s forum, situated within The Mall Athens (access from Nerantziotissa Station)!

This project first took shape around the end of July 2009, when members from some of the teams, currently active in the particular scene, met in order to discuss the possibility of an event above and beyond the level of J-parties. The product of those meetings was team Umi & Sora Events, which co-organizes this event together with Akai Panda.

The Cosplay Café will take place over three days, from the 22nd to the 24th of October 2009 and its schedule is as follows:

Thursday 22-10-2009 18:00 – 21:00 Cosplay Café

Friday 23-10-2009 18:00 – 21:00 Μaid Café

Saturday 24-10-2009 10:00 – 18:00 Cosplay Café
Saturday 24-10-2009 18:00 – 21:00 Anime Movie Screening

At the Cosplay Café visitors will be served free (non-alcoholic) drinks by their favorite manga and anime characters (and on the second day by our team of Maids and Butlers), while anime clips accompanied by modern Japanese music will be playing for the whole duration. Furthermore, visitors will have the opportunity to be photographed with the cosplayers.

Although all this may seem familiar to the fans of modern Japanese culture, certainly not all visitors are expected to have come in contact with this particular scene, therefore we will be providing expletive material and the organizers and cosplayers will be available to give answers and explanations. For those in the know, we have to point out that this, however, is not a cosplay party in the usual sense.

You are all most welcome and eagerly expected,

Umi & Sora Events / Akai Panda

(Camus, Kyoshiro, Marilou, Megi, Memole, Misa Yoshiko, Namida, Nerethil, Raziel, Speedgrapher, Velvet Vortex)

This event is sponsored by fnac.

P.S. This is the official press release from the organizers and so is signed by the whole team.